


Let Us Try Again

by AverageMarvelBitch



Series: Stony Shorts [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fix-It of Sorts, Forget Infinity War, M/M, Post Civil War, but not entirely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 22:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17496653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AverageMarvelBitch/pseuds/AverageMarvelBitch
Summary: My entry for BlackBerryWidow's Writing Challenge, Dialogue Prompt 4.: “So you’re saying I have to marry you to save my life? That’s… original.”





	Let Us Try Again

**Author's Note:**

> This was suppose to be a fun fic, but the angst got me.  
> For anyone interested on the challenge, here's the link: https://blackberrywidow.tumblr.com/post/180798154206/writing-challenge-so-amid-the-chaos-of-last-night  
> And here's my Tumblr: https://averagemarvelbitch.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“So you’re saying I have to marry you to save my life? That’s… original.”

Tony tried not to roll his eyes at Steve and, instead, took a deep breath.

“Trust me, Rogers, marrying you is the last thing on my “to do” list”.

“Ah, but it is on the list”, answered Steve with a cheeky smile.

They were currently at conference room B. The compound was completely empty except for them, Friday and the bots. Natasha was visiting Clint at the farm, Vision and Wanda were out having ― Tony shuddered ― a date and the others, well, Tony had no idea where the hell they were.

“Do you have to make everything more difficult, Rogers?”

Steve huffed, taking the papers from the table and reading them once again.

“So, let me get this straight”, Tony snorted at the last word, but Steve ignored him, “your lawyer thinks we should get married so it’ll be easier for us to fight these lawsuits?”

“Basically, yes. If you’re my husband, I can actually do a lot more for you, legally speaking. But that’s not the only reason”, Tony said, getting up from his chair and walking to where Steve was sitting, standing closer to the man, “Susan also thinks it would help our images. You know, show that the Accords didn’t actually tear the Avengers apart and that we’re all back to normal”.

“But we’re not, are we?”, asked Steve, his eyes full of regret when he finally lifted them from the paper in his hands and looked at Tony, “Are we ever going to be okay?”

Tony took a long, deep breath, looking away. He wanted to say yes. God, how he wanted to say yes. _Of course we’re going to be okay, Steve. Of course everything will go back to normal. Things will be just like before, when I trusted you and loved you. You know, before you lied to me, slammed your stupid shield on my chest and left me for your murderous best friend._ But he couldn’t. He couldn’t say yes and he didn’t want to lie.

“I don’t know”, he answered, pulling a chair and sitting in front of Steve, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive you. You lied to me for years, Rogers.”

“I lied to protect you, Tony, you know that…”

“See, that’s the thing”, Tony interrupted, “you keep saying that and when it comes from you it’s supposed to be a good excuse, right? But if I say that, it’s bullshit. When I say I wanted to create Ultron to protect us, to protect the Earth, I’m an asshole who can’t trust his team. When I don’t tell you about the Accords immediately after I hear them, because I don’t want you to do anything rash, I’m a controlling little shit who can’t trust anyone. But when Captain America does it? Everything is fine then. Because he’s Captain America, right? And Captain fucking America is always fucking perfect and can do no fucking wrong”.

By the end of it, Tony was standing in front of Steve, his face all red and his loud voice echoing through the room with an accusing finger on the other man’s face. Steve just stared at Tony, seemingly at a loss of words. He stared at his best friend ― the man he loved ― for a few seconds before dropping his gaze and leaning back on the chair, aggressively rubbing his face as he closed his eyes with a sight.

“You’re right”, he finally spoke, looking at Tony once more, “you’re right, Tony. I didn’t trust you with this and I should have. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for lying to you. I’m sorry for hurting you”. He wanted to say more. God, how he wanted to tell Tony all those things he should have told him, but never did. What he meant to him, how much he cherished every moment with Tony. _You’re my home_ , he wanted to say, _they gave me a mission, a purpose, but you gave me a home._

Tony looked at him, noticing the sincerity in his eyes. He looked so tired and so lost that Tony almost felt bad. Almost. The older man sat down once more.

“I’m sorry for not telling you about the Accords”. He didn’t apologize for Siberia. He couldn’t. He regretted his actions, but he just couldn’t bring himself to apologize. So he found himself trying to explain it to Steve instead. “If you had given me the time to come to terms with it, away from him. If you had told me in another environment, without showing me that video, I might have acted differently”.

“I know you would have, Tony. You’re a good man.”

They both stared at each other, saying nothing, just trying to process everything that was said.

“There’s nothing I want more in this world, Tony, than to make it up to you. There’s nothing I want more than to gain back your trust and, if possible, your love”, Steve said and, this time, there were tears in his eyes. He closed them, trying to keep himself for crying. And then, he felt a hand on his cheek and opened his eyes abruptly, surprised, only to feel Tony’s mouth on his. He held Tony’s face with cautiously, as if he could break him, and surrendered himself to the kiss, trying to show all his love and regret through it.

Too soon, the kiss ended. Tony rested his forehead on his, breathing heavily, eyes still closed.

“We have a long way to go for that to happen, Rogers”, he said, stepping back and buttoning his suit. He walked to the door and stopped there, without looking back, “Sign the papers so we can get started on that”, and left the room.

Steve just sat there, frozen, still not believing what had happened. And then, with a small, hopeful smile, he took the pen and signed the papers in front of him. It was true, they still had a long way to go, _but that’s okay_ , he thought. _I can do this all day._


End file.
